Losing Inches Not Weight!

Why the scales may not be budging

You may be exercising regularly, eating well, doing all the right things, but still your scales resolutely refuse to show any weight loss. It can be frustrating to know that you're working hard but aren't actually losing any weight, even if your measurements are getting smaller. Here are some of the reasons why you may be losing inches rather than weight:

Muscle weighs more than fat

Muscle tissue is about 18% denser than body fat. Regular exercise increases lean muscle tissue and as this weighs more than fat, people sometimes lose body fat and drastically change their body shape, while their weight stays the same! This is why it is often better to use clothing as an indicator to weight reduction and not just the scales.

Post-exercise binging

Remember that weight loss is a simple science of calories in versus calories out. With intensive training you need to be careful that you aren't over-consuming calories to refuel post-workout, as this will undo all the good calorie-deficit work of your exercise. It is very easy to justify carbohydrate loading when exercising regularly.

Be aware of your calorie intake on non-training days and make sure you don't 'recovery eat', as it can impact on you optimising your body fat loss on rest days.

Look at your portions and reduce down slightly the size of your meals. Also, consider when you are eating - try to avoid consuming a large percentage of your calories late in the evening. Even making small changes to your current nutritional habits will encourage that weight loss to come. It's a delicate juggling process between consuming enough to recover from exercise while managing to create a calorie deficit, so keep listening to your body.

Exercise routines

If you have had an exercise routine for more than 6 weeks, try something different. The body adapts so effectively to regular exercise that calories burned from one session will reduce quite rapidly. A change might be just what you need to tip the calorie deficit scale far enough in the right direction to see some weight loss.

Taking time to adapt

The body takes time to convert into a long-term 'fat-burning machine'. Focus on how good you feel, the emotional release you get from workouts and the power it gives you to be strong over what you consume on a daily basis.

Don't get demotivated by watching pounds; remember that it's body fat you want to lose and effective exercise that provides toning and strengthening benefits will do just that - so keep it up!